Computer-Implemented System And Method For Building Context Models In Real Time

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented system and method for building context models in real time is provided. A database of models for a user is maintained. Each model represents a contextual situation and includes one or more actions. Contextual data is collected for the user and a contextual situation is identified for that user based on the collected contextual information. Models related to the identified situation are selected and merged. One or more actions from the merged model are then selected.

FIELD

This application relates in general to determining context, and inparticular to a computer-implemented system and method for buildingcontext models in real time.

BACKGROUND

Understanding customer routines in particular situations can helpbusinesses anticipate the needs of their customers. Specifically, theability to anticipate a customer's needs allows businesses to providepersonalized recommendations, which can help businesses increaserevenue, as well as customer satisfaction and customer base. Forinstance, a customer that tends to grocery shop for produce first andmeat next, can be provided with produce specials upon entering a grocerystore since information or coupons provided at a relevant time are moreuseful than when provided at other times.

Generally, each customer routine can be represented by a model for thespecific situation. Thus, for the shopping example, the situation of thecustomer can be identified as entering ABC Grocery store. A search for amodel associated with ABC Grocery store is conducted for the user. Iffound, the model is used to help anticipate the user's next action ormovement with respect to the store. However, if no model is identifiedfor the situation, recommendations for the customer can be based onother users associated with ABC Grocery store, randomly provided, or norecommendations are sent. Further, if a model doesn't exist for theidentified situation, building a new model requires time to collectactions performed by the user during the situation and thus, cannot beused. Failing to provide recommendations or providing generalrecommendations, rather than customized recommendations, at random timescan result in a loss of potential opportunities to increase revenue andcustomer satisfaction.

Therefore, there is a need for an approach to generating models for newsituations in real time. Preferably, the approach will merge models fromsimilar situations to identify recommendations for a user in a newsituation across a number of different dimensions, not currentlyconsidered.

SUMMARY

Conventionally, context models are used to represent user routines andprovide relevant information to a user based on the associated context.However, in situations for which no context model exists, information isgenerally less accurate due to commonly being provided to the userrandomly or based on a population related to the user. To ensure thatinformation or recommendations provided to a user are contextuallyrelevant to the new situation, a new model can be generated in realtime. The new model can be generated by identifying the new situation,identifying models representing situations related to the new situation,and merging the identified models. Subsequently, information or actionscan be selected from the merged model and provided to the user as arecommendation that is contextually relevant to the new situation.

An embodiment provides a computer-implemented system and method forbuilding context models in real time. A database of models for a user ismaintained. Each model represents a contextual situation and includesone or more actions. Contextual data is collected for the user and acontextual situation is identified for that user based on the collectedcontextual information. Models related to the identified situation areselected and merged. One or more actions from the merged model are thenselected.

Still other embodiments of the present invention will become readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, wherein is described embodiments of the invention by way ofillustrating the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention.As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and differentembodiments and its several details are capable of modifications invarious obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and thescope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detaileddescription are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not asrestrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a computer-implemented system forbuilding context models in real time, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing a computer-implemented method forbuilding context models in real time, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing, by way of example, a process forselecting similar context models.

FIG. 4 is a graphical representation showing, by way of example, contextmodels for similar contextual situations.

FIG. 5 is a graphical representation showing, by way of example, amerged context model for a new contextual situation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Providing useful information to a user at relevant times can increaserevenue and customer satisfaction for a business. However, usingconventional methods, a model must first be established for each usersituation or scenario to be able to identify and provide usefulrecommendations. Unfortunately, if no model exists for a particularcontextual situation, identifying helpful information for the user isdifficult and often inaccurate due to relying on routines of a relatedpopulation or providing information randomly. To ensure that userspecific data is provided and relied upon in unknown contextualsituations, models for related situations can be identified and mergedto identify information or actions relevant to the individual, which canbe provided as a recommendation.

Merging models for related contextual situations can provide actions orinformation relevant to a new contextual situation experienced by auser. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a computer-implemented system 10for building context models in real time, in accordance with oneembodiment. An individual user is associated with one or more mobilecomputing devices, including a cell phone 11, smart watch 12,head-mounted computing device 13, such as Google Glass manufactured byGoogle Inc., and tablet 14. However, other types of mobile computingdevices are possible. Each of the computing devices 11-14 can collectcontextual data 19 for the user, including one or more of location,time, temperature, acceleration, vital statistics, movement tracking,inventory, and other types of data related to the user's currentsurroundings. The contextual data 19 can be collected via sensors orsound or video recording devices within the mobile computing devices11-14. For example, contextual data 19 can include a location of theuser, which is obtained via GPS on a smart phone, a location of the userwith respect to a particular piece of equipment, as identified viaBluetooth, time collected from a clock on the smart phone, and a videoof the user obtained via a camera, such as on the mobile headset.

Once collected, the contextual data 19 can be stored in a database 18associated with each mobile computing device 11-14. Each mobilecomputing device 11-14 can also be associated with a device server 15,which includes a data module 16 and a context module 17. The data module16 accesses the contextual data 19 from the database 18 for processing.The contextual data 19 collected by each device can then be transmittedto a single mobile computing device for processing via the contextmodule 17 associated with that device to determine a contextualsituation of the user. However, in a further embodiment, each mobilecomputing device 11-14 can transmit the contextual data 19 to a contextserver 20, via an internetwork 27, such as the Internet, for identifyingthe contextual situation based on the contextual data 19. The contextualsituation can be identified using a combination of activity recognitionand semantic modeling, or based directly on one or more items ofcontextual data.

Upon determining a current contextual situation, a context model 25 canbe selected for the situation. However, if the situation is new and nomodel exists, the context server 20 can generate a new model in realtime. The context server 20 includes a model selector 21, a model merger22, and a recommender 23. The model selector 21 identifies existingmodels 25 for contextual situations that are related to the newidentified situation. The existing models 25 can be stored in a database24 interconnected to the context server 20. The merger model 22 thenmerges the models of the related contextual situations into a singlemodel, which can be assigned to represent the new contextual situation.Finally, the recommender 23 can identify one or more actions from themerged model for recommending to the user for performance with respectto the new situation.

The mobile computing devices 11-14 and servers 15, 20 can each includeone or more modules for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein.The modules can be implemented as a computer program or procedurewritten as source code in a conventional programming language and ispresented for execution by the central processing unit as object or bytecode. Alternatively, the modules could also be implemented in hardware,either as integrated circuitry or burned into read-only memorycomponents, and each of the client and server can act as a specializedcomputer. For instance, when the modules are implemented as hardware,that particular hardware is specialized to perform the data qualityassessment and other computers cannot be used. Additionally, when themodules are burned into read-only memory components, the computerstoring the read-only memory becomes specialized to perform the dataquality assessment that other computers cannot. The variousimplementations of the source code and object and byte codes can be heldon a computer-readable storage medium, such as a floppy disk, harddrive, digital video disk (DVD), random access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM) and similar storage mediums. Other types of modules andmodule functions are possible, as well as other physical hardwarecomponents.

Model merging allows models for a new contextual situation to begenerated in real-time to provide users with information andrecommendations relevant to the new contextual situation. FIG. 2 is aflow diagram showing a computer-implemented method 30 for buildingcontext models in real time, in accordance with one embodiment.Contextual data is collected (block 31) for a user. The contextual datacan include location, time, vital statistics, acceleration and movementdata, email, text messages, video, and voice recordings. Other types ofcontextual data are possible. The contextual data can be collectedcontinuously, periodically, or randomly.

Next, at least a portion of the contextual data can be used to determine(block 32) a contextual situation. For instance, coordinates determinedby GPS can be used to identify the contextual situation as one that isoccurring at a location associated with the coordinates. In one example,a user's location identifies his presence at Northgate Mall in Seattle,Wash. In another example, time and date can be used to determine acontextual situation, such as by determining a time for a userexperiencing a contextual situation. For instance, on a Monday night at8 p.m., the user routinely goes attends Spanish class. Also, vitalstatistics and acceleration can be used to identify a contextualsituation in which the user is running, which can be determined based ona level of acceleration and heart rate. Other contextual situations canbe determined based on the same or different items of contextual data.

Once determined, the current contextual situation can be compared (block33) with a set of existing context models, which each represent acontextual situation and common actions performed by the user withrespect to that contextual situation. If a model is identified (block34), one or more actions can be selected (block 37) from the model andprovided (block 38) to the user as a recommendation. Additionally, oralternatively, further actions can be identified from the actions in themodel and provided to the user.

However, if no model is identified (block 34) for the current contextualsituation, the contextual situation is identified as new and two or moreof the existing models for similar contextual situations are identified(block 35). FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing, by way of example, aprocess 40 for selecting models for similar contextual situations. Oneor more items of contextual data collected for a new situation iscompared (block 41) to each existing model for previous contextualsituations. A similarity value for each comparison is determined (block42) and in one embodiment, a threshold is applied (block 43) to eachsimilarity value. If a similarity value fails to satisfy (block 44) thethreshold, the model associated with the similarity value is notselected (block 45) as representative of a previous contextual situationthat is similar to the current contextual situation. However, if thesimilarity value satisfies (block 44) the threshold, the model for theprevious contextual situation is selected (block 46) as similar to thecurrent contextual situation.

Returning to the discussion with respect to FIG. 2, once identified, themodels of the similar contextual situations are merged (block 36) togenerate a new model for the new contextual situation. In oneembodiment, merging of the models can occur by combining the actions ofthe similar contextual situations. Specifically, if the actions for eachcontextual situation are stored in a table, the tables for the similarcontextual situations can be combined to generate a single tablerepresentative of the new contextual situation. Each of the tables canbe represented as a graph, such as with nodes and edges, as furtherdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The combined table can then be used to identify those actions mostpopular or consistent across all of the merged models, as well as togenerate a single display. For instance, in one example, each action ina model can be associated with a significance value, such as apopularity value or probability of occurrence. Upon combining the tablesof the similar contextual situations, values for the same or relatedactions can be combined by adding the popularity values, or bydetermining a mean or median value. In a further embodiment, each of thesimilar contextual models can be associated with a weight, which maycarry over to each action in that model, and the weights are consideredupon merging of the models, including when adding the significancevalues, or determining a mean or median value. Other methods for mergingthe models are possible.

Using the merged model, one or more actions can be directly selected(block 37) from the model for providing (block 38) to the user asrecommendations or helpful information. Additionally, another action orinformation, related to the actions in the model, can be selected (block37) for providing with the recommendation. The actions selected can bethose most consistently performed by the user during the associatedcontextual situation.

In one example, a user is determined to be at the Moda Center inPortland, Oreg. to watch a Portland Trailblazers basketball game on aFriday night. Identification of the contextual situation can occur basedon the contextual data collected, including location coordinates, time,date, and event schedule. A search for a model representing a contextualsituation at the Moda Center, such as for a basketball game, isconducted, but no model is identified. Accordingly, a search for modelsof similar contextual situations is conducted and three models areidentified. However, other numbers of identified models are possible.FIG. 4 is a graphical representation showing, by way of example, models50 for similar contextual situations. In this example, the contextualsituations similar to the Moda Center are identified as attendance at aSeahawks game at CenturyLink Field 51 in Seattle, Wash., Friday nightactivities 53, and Portland, Oreg. 52.

The football game at CenturyLink Field model 51 includes actions, suchas using the bathroom, locating and sitting in an assigned seat, andobtaining concessions. Each of the actions can be associated withmetadata providing additional detail of the actions, such as purchasinga beer and a hotdog at the concession stand. Alternatively, the metadatacan be included in the model itself, such as via a hierarchical graph.For instance, the purchase of the hotdog and beer can be represented asnodes extending from the concession node. The Portland, Oreg. model 52includes actions for visiting downtown Portland, staying in a hotel,visiting a museum, dining at one or more restaurants, and attending asports event. The Friday night model 53 includes actions for havingdrinks, eating dinner, attending sports events, and staying at home.

Each of the actions provided for each model are actions that have beenperformed by the user over time with respect to each contextualsituation. In one embodiment, the number of actions associated with eachmodel can be limited to remove actions that are unlikely to occur againfor that contextual situation. The actions can be limited by time,frequency of occurrence, or a combination of time and frequency. Forinstance, using a combination of frequency and time, the user may haveattended a ballet performance once on a Friday night three years ago,but has not since attend a single ballet performance. Thus, as morefrequent activities are performed and more time passes, the lessfrequent activities that occurred longer ago can be removed.

Once identified, the models for each of the similar contextualsituations identified are merged to generate a new model representingthe new contextual situation. FIG. 5 is a graphical representationshowing, by way of example, a merged model 60 for a new contextualsituation 51. The merged model 60 includes actions 62 from each of themodels for the similar contextual situations. Each of the actions can beassociated with a significance value, such as a popularity value orprobability of occurrence to identify the most consistent actions, whichwill have a highest significance value. As described above, when themodels of the similar contextual situations are merged, the significancevalues for the same or related actions can be combined by adding thesignificance values, or determining a mean or median value.

Returning to the above example regarding the Moda Center, the models forthe similar contextual situations of football at CenturyLink Field,Friday night, and Portland, Oreg. are merged to generate a model for theModa Center since this is the first time that the user has attended anevent at the Moda Center. During merging, the same or related actionsare combined, such as by adding the significance values for thoseactions, or determining a mean or median value. Also, those actionsunrelated to any other action in the similar models can be listed in themerged model. In a further embodiment, a threshold can be applied to thesignificance value of each action, including individual actions ormerged actions. If satisfied, the action can be included in the newmodel for the new contextual situation. However, if not satisfied, theaction is not included in the new model.

Actions most consistently performed or most popular across the mergedmodel, as determined by their significance values, can then beidentified for providing to the user for the current situation, which isnew. For instance, when the user enters the Moda Center, arecommendation can be delivered to the user to take a left to get to aconcession stand to buy a hot dog and a soda before proceeding to hisseat. This recommendation can be based on the actions of the mergedmodel, which identifies obtaining food as having a high significancevalue across each of the merged models and thus, is a highly consistentaction.

As described above with reference to FIG. 4, each of the threeidentified models for similar contextual situations includes eating. Thefootball CenturyLink Field model 51 includes concessions, the Fridaynight model 53 includes dinner and drinks, and the Portland, Oreg. model52 includes dining. The recommendation for hot dogs and beer can beidentified based on prior actions of the user at similar contextualsituations during which the user purchased beer and hot dogs. Further,the directions to the concession stand can be determined via a map ofthe Moda Center. The recommendation can also include other types ofexternal data, such as a menu for the concession stand, food and drinkcosts, other restaurants or concessions, weather, game statistics, andgame schedule. Other types of external data for recommendations arepossible.

In a further embodiment, the context models built in real time can beused to dynamically generate documents for providing to a user based onthat user's particular level of knowledge or context, as described infurther detail in commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Computer-Implemented System and Method For DynamicallyGenerating Documents Based on User Context,” Docket No. 20141578US01,filed on Aug. 10, 2016, pending, the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described asreferenced to the embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art willunderstand that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented system for buildingcontext models in real time, comprising: a database of models for auser, wherein each model represents a contextual situation and comprisesone or more actions; a collection module to collect contextual data forthe user; an identification module to identify a contextual situationfor the user based on the collected contextual information; a modelselection module to select models related to the identified situation; amerge module to merge the selected models; and an action selection toselect one or more actions from the merged model.
 2. A system accordingto claim 1, further comprising: an assignment module to assign themerged model to the identified contextual situation.
 3. A systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the models are selected based on asimilarity to the identified contextual situation.
 4. A system accordingto claim 3, further comprising: a determination module to determine thesimilarity between each model and the identified contextual situationbased on one or more of location, time, goal, action, andrecommendation.
 5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the contextualdata comprises one or more of time, location, date, day, temperature,vital sign, and acceleration.
 6. A system according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a delivery module deliver one or more of the selectedactions from the merged model to the user as a recommendation.
 7. Asystem according to claim 6, wherein each recommendation comprises oneor more of a link, directions, location, and instructions.
 8. A systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising: an assignment module to assigna weight to each action and to choose those actions with the higherweights as the selected actions.
 9. A system according to claim 1,further comprising: an action identification module to identify theselected actions by counting an occurrence of each action and choosingas the selected actions those actions with higher occurrences.
 10. Asystem according to claim 1, wherein the merged model covers theassociated situations across different times and locations.
 11. Acomputer-implemented method for building context models in real time,comprising: maintaining a database of models for a user, wherein eachmodel represents a contextual situation and comprises one or moreactions; collecting contextual data for the user; identifying acontextual situation for the user based on the collected contextualinformation; selecting models related to the identified situation;merging the selected models; and selecting one or more actions from themerged model.
 12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:assigning the merged model to the identified contextual situation.
 13. Amethod according to claim 11, wherein the models are selected based on asimilarity to the identified contextual situation.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 13, further comprising: determining the similaritybetween each model and the identified contextual situation based on oneor more of location, time, goal, action, and recommendation.
 15. Amethod according to claim 11, wherein the contextual data comprises oneor more of time, location, date, day, temperature, vital sign, andacceleration.
 16. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:delivering one or more of the selected actions from the merged model tothe user as a recommendation.
 17. A method according to claim 16,wherein each recommendation comprises one or more of a link, directions,location, and instructions.
 18. A method according to claim 11, furthercomprising: assigning a weight to each action; and choosing thoseactions with the higher weights as the selected actions.
 19. A methodaccording to claim 11, further comprising: identifying the selectedactions, comprising: counting an occurrence of each action; and choosingas the selected actions those actions with higher occurrences.
 20. Amethod according to claim 11, wherein the merged model covers theassociated situations across different times and locations.